Foot injury to Joey Bosa opens door for Chargers’ Isaac Rochell

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A foot injury to Joey Bossa has given Isaac Rochell an opportunity to impress Chargers coaches and get extra playing time in Saturday night’s exhibition opener against the Arizona Cardinals. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Two days after Joey Bosa walked off the practice field with an injured left foot, the Pro Bowl defensive end looked perfectly healthy. He didn’t practice on Thursday, but he also paced along the sidelines at Jack Hammett Sports Complex without a significant limp. No protective boot, no visible brace or sleeve of any kind.

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Barring some sort of setback, it’s safe to pencil Bosa in for the Chargers’ season opener against Kansas City on Sept. 9.

“He’s doing fine,” Coach Anthony Lynn said. “His foot was sore.”

The preseason is another matter entirely. The Chargers haven’t finalized starting lineups for Saturday’s trip to Arizona, but Lynn suggested that he and his staff may replicate the approach they took last year. Bosa started the 2017 exhibition opener — but played just nine snaps.

When it comes to NFL stars, there’s just no sense in risking injury.

Which is why the Chargers will soon get a good look at Isaac Rochell, whom they drafted at No. 225 overall a year ago. Seventh-round picks are often lucky just to make the roster; in Rochell, the Chargers may have found a promising addition to their defensive line rotation.

Rochell played sparingly as a rookie, spending most of the first three months on the practice squad. When the Chargers moved him back onto their active roster in late December, the Notre Dame alum made the most of his chances, recording a sack and four tackles in the final two games. If Bosa sits out the preseason, then at the Chargers get more of a chance to help Rochell foster a Year 2 breakout.

“You hate to see this happen to Joey,” defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said, “but it will be a great opportunity for Isaac, and for us to evaluate him.”

Rochell has been Bosa’s primary backup during training camp, a significant role given how often the Chargers rotate their defensive linemen. Bradley has also noticed how often Bosa and Rochell sit next to each other in meetings, pointing out the “big trust factor” between the two players. The former has rubbed off on the latter in another way too.

At Notre Dame, the 6-foot-4 Rochell weighed as much as 295 pounds. When he joined the Chargers, he noticed that players ahead of him — like 6-foot-5 Bosa and 6-foot-2 Melvin Ingram, listed respectively at 280 and 247 pounds — were maintaining their Pro Bowl performances even at lighter weights. He eventually adopted a vegan diet, and has shed 15 pounds since arriving in the NFL at around 280.

“I thought to myself, ‘Why am I 290 if I’m playing behind him?’” Rochell said. “So that is the transition I had to make, mentally.”

Bosa has noticed the difference too.

“The jump he made is kind of unexpected,” he said of Rochell in June. “Seeing him out here with his hands, the way he’s moving, it’s pretty unbelievable.”

REMEMBERING FAYE

Lynn wants to give Faye Spanos her proper due. The mother of Chargers owner Dean Spanos died Tuesday night at age 92, prompting the team’s head coach to share his memories of the woman after Thursday’s practice.

“She hugged me and made me feel really welcome,” Lynn said. “She was just a really special lady and we’re going to miss her dearly. So, I wanted you to know that she’s in our thoughts and prayers.”

Lynn said the Chargers will wear something on their helmets during Saturday’s preseason opener in recognition of Spanos, and may continue to do so for the rest of the season.

CAMP NOTES

Rookie defensive tackle Justin Jones wore a boot to protect his injured left ankle on Thursday. The third-round pick appears doubtful to play in the preseason opener. Undrafted rookie tight end Cole Hunt is also nursing a left ankle injury. His condition is unclear. … Linebacker Denzel Perryman missed half of last season with an ankle injury, but his leadership since returning has caught Bradley’s attention. “We had a couple of occasions in practice where he made some hits,” Bradley said. “I think it just elevated everybody and they took notice of it.”

Jack Wang covers the Chargers, the latest NFL team to relocate to Los Angeles. He previously covered the Rams, and also spent four years on the UCLA beat, a strange period in which the Bruins' football program often outpaced their basketball team. He is a proud graduate of UC Berkeley, where he spent most of his time in The Daily Californian offices in Eshleman Hall — a building that did not become earthquake-safe until after his time on campus.